Lunch Anyone?
by greengirl82
Summary: Who knew lunch with these people would turn out to be anything but boring? Warning: Jack-centric.


**Lunch Anyone?**

Disclaimer: CBS owns Criminal Minds, don't we all know that by now?

Summary: Lunch with these people turns out to be anything but boring...

Timeline: Alternate Universe, Present Day

A/N: A little something that came to me and wouldn't leave my mind. Enjoy.

Thanks for reading, don't forget to leave a review.

* * *

"I never drink coffee at lunch, I find that it keeps me awake for the afternoon." Ronald Regan

* * *

Jack internally sighed as he watched the woman across from him laugh hysterically at what his father just said.

There was nothing funny about his father, at least he didn't think so. And the dark haired woman kept shooting him looks that made the little boy want to run and hide.

"Isn't that hilarious?" Beth chuckled.

The sandy hair boy looked over at his father and nearly rolled his eyes the way he saw Dave do several times before when something annoyed him. Most times it was women.

"Jack?" Beth asked in a concerned tone, "Don't you like your french fries?"

That made the boy look up at the brunette curator. He had been mindlessly picking at his food, not really focusing on eating it.

He was happy when his dad told him that they were going to have lunch out, but then his dad told him that Beth was going to join them, and the second grader's happy demeanor was dropped.

It wasn't that he down right hated the female curator for no reason, but he just flat out didn't like her dating his father. He didn't think his dad and Beth made a good couple.

And he intended to do something about that.

"Jack?" Hotch said, "Beth just asked you a question."

Jack sighed, turning his attention to the older woman, "Fries are ok."

The woman frowned, "Are you ok, Jack?"

Jack shrugged, he didn't feel like answering the woman's question, "I'm fine."

Hotch raised an eyebrow at his son but didn't say anything. He knew that the boy had a tendency to keep things bottled up inside and he didn't want that to happen now but it'd be best to discuss it at home.

"Hey Hotchner" Beth's voice crooned, "You know what would be perfect after lunch treat?"

"What's that?" Hotch asked, narrowing his eyes at the gleeful look on her face.

"How do you feel about pie?" Beth asked, making Jack recoil at that.

* * *

The boy had a sweet tooth but this wasn't going the way he wanted, and he looked at the menu board across the room.

"So what do you say, Jack?" Hotch called out, "Feel up to pie?"

Jack shook his head but gave his father an imploring look as an idea flashed in the little boy's mind.

"Can I have a shake?" Jack asked.

Hotch took a deep breath, about to let his son down. Not only had he been dismissive to the woman sitting across from him but he also been silent all day too.

"I don't..." Hotch started, only for Beth to cut him off.

"Sure thing, sweetie" Beth said, "I like shakes too. Strawberry ones, do you like strawberry?"

"I like vanilla" Jack said, there's no way he'd like anything that she would.

"Mm" Beth said with a smile, "Yummy. How about you go order one?"

Jack got up from the table and wandered over to the counter while Beth turned to Hotch.

"Looks like I'm making some headway with Jack" Beth grinned, "And that's the Clemmons way, win them over with bribes. What's wrong Hotchner?"

Hotch masked his emotions, "Not that I'm not grateful that you're taking an interest in Jack, but please don't interceded like that again."

"What?" she asked frowning, "Why?"

"Jack has a real problem with sweets" Hotch started, "And I try not to bribe my son into good manners. He shouldn't be rewarded for behaving. He needs structure and as nice as you've been to him, I don't want him having a shake during lunch, he should be focusing on the food to eat not the treats after."

"I'm..." Beth tried to apologize, inside she was fuming.

She tried everything to get the man's son to like her, but she couldn't breech the hard shell the child built around him.

* * *

"Emmy!" Jack shrieked running past his table towards the door, "You're here."

Emily chuckled as she kneeled down and was pulled into a hug by the little boy, "Whoa there, little man."

Hotch stood up, while Beth turned in surprise to the man beside her as he walked over to the other brunette woman.

"Emily" Hotch said, "What... what are you doing here?"

"Oh, well it is a diner" Emily said standing up then chuckled, "Meeting a friend."

"Can you sit with us, Emmy?" Jack asked taking her hand, "Please? Please, daddy, can Emmy sit with us?"

Hotch looked down at his son's pleading face then to the brunette, "Jack, she's meeting a friend."

That made his blood boil, he didn't know why, but the image of her meeting a man made him angry. And he really didn't want to have to witness that.

"Well buddy, that's up to Emily" Hotch told his son, the boy turned his pleading eyes to Emily, "Emily?"

Emily looked down at the boy, and her heart tugged. She couldn't ever deny this boy anything, and looking up at Hotch, she felt her heart beat faster.

She'd never admit it out loud, but she couldn't deny Hotch anything either.

She knew what made her weak kneed, it was those damned dimples. A rare treat to see on Hotch but always welcomed, and his son had a matching set of dimples.

"I guess I could stay for a few minutes until my friend..." she paused, looking at the table and saw Beth, "Oh, maybe it's not a good idea."

Hotch looked over and realized something, he forgot about Beth. He quickly shook off that unease, giving Emily a welcoming smile.

"No, its all right" Hotch said, turning to Beth, "It's fine right, Beth?"

The brunette nodded swallowing the lump in her throat, "That's right, Hotchner."

Jack grabbed Emily's hand, "Come sit next to me, Emmy."

Emily chuckled as the little boy, grabbed her hand pulling her over to the table.

"Wow, what do you got there?" Emily asked, "Is that a vanilla shake?"

"Uh huh" Jack nodded sipping it, "Want some?"

Emily smiled, "No thanks, sweetie. You enjoy that."

The boy picked at his french fries listening to the three adults converse when something came to him.

He noticed that as Beth talked he could see Emily steal a glance at his father, and his father would do the same when Emily talked.

His little mind tried to remember the way that his Uncle Dave would joke about the ways that always made girls run away from him.

He sat there in silence trying to recall it, while his dad talked to the two brunettes.

* * *

Emily watched as Jack pushed the fries on his plate and leaned down, "Aren't you hungry?"

Jack shook his head, "No."

"Oh, ok" Emily said scooting the plate away from the edge of the table while the boy continued to sip on the shake.

"So Emily" Beth said, startling the brunette to turn around, "Hotchner says that he used to work security detail for your mother?"

"Yes" Emily told her, "My mother is an Ambassador. That was quite awhile ago right before I left for Yale."

"That's great" Beth said monotonously, before sipping her drink, "Did you always want to be an FBI agent?"

Emily paused at that, she hadn't expected to be ignored but she honestly didn't realize she was going to be the main focus of the curator's questioning. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"When I was in college I decided that anything that didn't involve politics was good enough for me" Emily admitted, "And it was between being an agent or a doctor. And I really don't like hospitals."

Hotch and Jack chuckled at that, they both knew the female agent's infinity for hospitals first hand.

"You don't think being in the medical field is a noble or honorable thing?" Beth asked narrowing her eyes on Emily.

The two Hotchners' and Emily stilled at that. No one could believe that Beth asked something so blatant as that.

"I never said that" Emily told her quickly, "I just have a little phobia about being in hospitals."

"Oh" Beth said, but Emily could tell from the tone that it was a reply of dismissal.

"Daddy?" Jack's voice pulled the adults out of their reverie, "Can I get a cookie?"

"Sure thing, buddy" Hotch told his son, watching the little boy scamper off to the counter.

As Jack turned and quickly ordered his cookie, the child turned and saw Emily biting her lower lip while Beth was quietly whispering to the two adults.

He narrowed his dark eyes and scowled in a way that could rival his father's while Hotch leaned into Beth and watched the woman pull her hand away from his and moved back.

Jack watched Emily quickly pulled out her cell phone and send a text message before shoving her phone into her purse and compose herself when Jack returned.

* * *

"I got you a cookie too, Emmy" Jack said smiling at the older woman.

"Aw, that was sweet Jack but you didn't have to do that" Emily said, "Why don't you hold onto it?"

"But it's for..." Jack said, only for Beth to reach across the table and take the proffered treat.

"I like chocolate chip cookies too, Jack" the older woman said smiling at the younger Hotchner as she bit into the cookie.

The little boy had enough, it was one thing to pretend to be polite and kind to him, he could spot a fake a mile away.

Despite what everyone thought, he was a very perceptive boy.

But no one got away with hurting the people he likes, and he liked Emily. He wished that it was Emily that were with his Dad, not Beth.

And he was ready to make his move, when he felt it. A kick, from under the table.

He thought it could've been an accident but then he looked over at Beth and saw the pure look of contempt on her face. That was it for him, he was done being the good boy because no one messed with his super heroes.

"Jack, baby" Beth crooned out seeing the dark look on the boy's face, "Are you all right?"

The boy remained mute, staring at the older woman's eyes. He wasn't backing down from this, not even if he got a time out from his Dad.

"Jack?" Beth repeated, the woman getting unnerved by the boy's blank stare, "Jack?"

The dark haired agents turned their attention to the little boy, "Jack?"

"Yes, Daddy?" Jack answered but kept his gaze on Beth.

"Are you ok?" Hotch asked.

"I'm fine" Jack answered, "My tummy hurts a little..."

"Oh no," Emily said, running her hand over the boy's hair, while Hotch looked on wistfully.

Jack saw the other brunette's jaw tighten at that, before stiffening her spine and cleared her throat.

"Hotchner" Beth said, "Maybe we should take Jack home? After all if he's not feeling well, we don't want him to get sick in public."

"That might be a good..." Hotch started slowly, looking over at the other brunette comforting his son.

Jack moved to sit up, while his hand bumped the still full shake on to the table making the brunette curator jump back as the ice creamed treat ran down on her pants.

"Goddamn it" Beth shouted, jumping up as the cold treat hit her, "Watch it!"

Jack pouted and sniffled running over to Emily, "I'm sorry."

"Stupid kids" Beth muttered, flinching when Hotch's hand hit the table top loudly.

Emily placed a smooth, protective hand over Jack's back, "It's all right, Jack. It was an accident."

Hotch got up, passing some napkins to the woman, "Can we talk?"

"That'd be for the best" she said, shooting daggers to Emily and Jack.

* * *

Emily kept a protective hold on the boy, "Are you ok, sweetie?"

"I'm sorry, Emmy" Jack said, keeping his voice soft as he watched his father and Beth argue across the small diner, "I didn't mean it."

"I know honey" Emily murmured foisting the boy on her lap, but noticing the small smile on his face.

She kept a trained eye on the couple, while rubbing her hands over Jack's back as he clings to her.

"Fine!" Beth shouted, "Have it your way, you idiot. But know this, you just lost the best thing that ever happened to you."

"I hardly doubt that" Hotch retorted.

Emily watched the woman storm over to the table grab her coat and purse huffing as she barged out.

"Sorry about that" Hotch muttered coming over to the table, "Jack, buddy I think it's time we go home now."

"Can't Emmy come?" Jack whispered, "I never get to see her anymore."

Jack kept a firm grip on Emily, but Hotch shook his head, "We can't buddy, she's meeting someone."

Jack pulled back, "Emmy? Please?"

"Jack" she said giving him a smile, "I promise I'll see you soon."

"Whose visiting you?" Jack asked, his eyes pleading with her.

"Jack" Hotch said warningly, "That's not a polite thing to ask."

"But it's the truth" Jack said, turning to Emily "Don't you want to come home with us?"

"Sweetie of course I do" Emily said looking over at Hotch, "But the person I'm meeting is really important."

"A boyfriend?" Jack asked, his hopes of his Dad and Emily dashing, "You have a boyfriend?"

Emily chuckled, "Anyone ever tell you that you'd make a great lawyer?"

She got unnerved by the double blank stare of both Hotchners, "Here, go to your father."

Hotch watched his agent set his son down before giving the boy a hug.

"Do you want to hang out with us?" Hotch asked.

"I'd love to" Emily smiled, "There's something I have to do first."

Hotch watched his agent looked over to the opening door of the diner and smile at the forty-something man.

"Hey, Emily" a man said, approaching her then turned to Hotch "I'm Larry Green."

"Aaron Hotchner" Hotch said, trying to keep his temper under control.

"All right Emily" Larry said, "Lets find you your dream house."

Emily smiled, looked over at Hotch, "If you can wait awhile, maybe we'd can go to the park?"

"Yeah" Jack grinned up at his father who nodded at that moving them to a free booth.

Jack knew just like his father did that they'd wait as long as it took for Emily, because she was the missing piece in their life, and they all knew it.

* * *

"The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you're not going to stay where you are." Author Unknown

* * *

**THE END**

I hope you all enjoyed this, don't forget to leave a review.


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